Why We Experience Slipping Backwards or Anavasthitatva

Pantanjali’s Yoga Sutra 1.30 – There are nine kinds of distractions that come that are obstacles naturally encountered on the Spiritual path, and these are physical illness, mental inertia, self-doubt, haste, apathy, laziness, self-deception (incorrect assumptions about ourselves), lack of perseverance to achieve one’s intentions, and the inability to maintain a level of aptitude once gained.

There is comfort in knowing these are predictable.

If these are the impediments along the journey, then we can feel much more at ease when we encounter them. Instead of thinking, “Something is wrong with me,” we can see that these are predictable bumps along the road of spiritual life.

If we know that such obstacles are going to come, and that other people before us have encountered them, then we can also follow their experience and guidance as to how to deal with these obstacles.